The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-05-21
OLD Mr.. ROTTLE.
a Strictly Veracious New York Boarding
House Episode.

n strictly Neracious New YORK Boarding
House Episode.
Everybody knew that dinner was
nearly ready as the combined odor of
clearinghouse vegetables had become
so painfully intense.
Old Mr., Rottle wandered down stairs
on the early bird principle and took
his seat 1t may have been owing to
the rain and wet weather outside, but
the old man was not in the best humor.
He acted as though the world had hus-
tied him some and he wanted to drown
sorrow in dinner. The bell rang as
he sent pair of foraging eyes about
the table and the other boarders began
to drop in. The Two Maiden Ladies
were the first to arrive, then the Young
Lady Boarder attended by the Bank
Clerk and with every body following.
No one noticed old Mr. Rottles
gloom. The Bank Clerk was in such
high spirits that his sallies with the
Young Lady Boarder occupied the at
tention of the table
The elder Maiden Lady was shocked
Mt such flow of spirits and remarked
1t to her companion, who ate three
20 olives and said it was scandalous.
As for the Bank Clerk he was in
reckless state. He devoured two plates
of soup without scrutinizing the COM
position, and chattcd affably across the
, table with the Young Lady Boarder.
'Had quite an adventure to-day" he
remarked, spilling some cranberry
sauce on the table-cloth and putting his
buttcr-dish over the spot.
The Young Lady Boarder was all
interest Immediately, and so was every
body else, except old Mr.. Rottle.
"You see when was up in Connecti-
cut last month" said the Bank Clerk,
81 lost my umbrella. 1t rained so /
had to sail into a country store and in
vest dollar and eight cents in
family cotton. had trouble with that
umbrella right off. 1t wasn't spread
ten minutes before the dye began to
Hrun and the water fell off the ribs in
great brown drops, just as though it
was raining mOlasses. l hurried to
catch train, and when tried to furl
that umbrella the stick was swelled. l
had to climb on the back platform and
it took me twelve minutes to get that
Connecticut cotton together. To-day l
whitfield the stick down and tried the
umbrella again. There was a crowd
3 on Wall street, but was hurrying
along and thinking pretty hard when a
seedy old cove in front of me calls over
his shoulder as angry as can
be: Hey there, you young rascal,
get your umbrella out ofmy collar, and
sure enough" added the Bank Clerk,
chucklilS lmmoderately, "inthe crowd
rib of my cotton umbrella had got
wedged between the old party's neck
and collar and was dripping molasses-
~colored rain down his back"
At this point old Mr. Rottle turned
red and suddenly put his hands to the
back of his neck.
"You young wretch" he exclaimed,
in tones that trembled with anger.
"Not content with poking your UNI
brella into me on the street, you make
Jest of it in public The rudeness
and fippancy of the rising generation
is past endurance" and choking with
indignation and soup the old man hur-
'ried out of the dining-room.
There was an appalled, silence for
some minutes. The Bank Clerks hi
larity was already two miles and half
away, and still moving sixty miles an
hour. At length the Young Lady
BoNrder said she preferred dark meat
and the Landlady asked every body to
keep their spoons for the next course
NJ Y Tr;b5J,,o